Mail-bag catcher



(No Model.) Y 2 sheets Sheet 1',

W. T. STUART.

MAIL BAG GATCHBR.

Patented July 14, 1896.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. T. STUART.

MAIL BAG GATGHBR. No. 564.120. Patented July 14, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM TELL STUART, OF CHEYENNE, WVYOMING.

MAIL-BAG CATCH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,120, dated July 14, 1896.

Application filed September 1'7, 1896. Serial No. 562,781. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM TELL STUART,

of Cheyenne, in the county of Laramie and State of Wyoming, have invented a new and Improved Mail-Bag Catcher, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide a mailbag catcher whereby the bag will be handled with less liability to injure its contents and whereby the bag will not be bent or crushed.

It is a further object to improve the general construction of these devices and to provide one which will be more durable and generally desirable than others of its class.

To these ends the invention comprises a peculiarly-constructed catcher proper associated with suitable devices for mounting and operating it. to project outwardly on the car and to move into engagement with the bag, so as to direct tha same bodily into the car, as distinguished from binding with it as in other forms of catcher.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a horizontal section of a portion of a car having my improvements applied. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2.

The car 1 is provided at each side with the usual door-openings 2, with which the doors 3 respectively operate. Extending horizontally across the upper portion of the car and transversely from one of the openings 2 to the other is a shaft 4, which has a link 5 slidable thereon, the link being provided with an antifriction-roller 6, and having its lower end pivotally connected to the upper extremity of a shaft 7.

The shaft 7 is passed through the upper and lower end portions 8 of the catcher, which comprises a plane vertical side 9, to which these upper and lower end portions 8 are connected. The shaft 7 is formed with collars or flanges 10 at the inner side of the portions 8, whereby it is rigidly secured to the end portions, and the lower extremity of the shaft is extended beyond the adjacent por- This catcher is arrangedtion 8 and adapted to operate with the blocks 11, which are two in number and secured one just inward of each of the door-openings and midway the width thereof.

It will be seen that the catcher may be moved transversely on the shaft 4 and from one door to the other, and the blocks 11 are arranged so that one will be in position for operation with the catcher irrespective of the door to which it is adjusted Rigidly secured to each side of the frame of each door is an eye 12, which eyes are horizontally alined at each door-frame and adapted to cooperate with eyes 13, secured two to each vertical edge of the plane side 9 of the catcher, and spaced apart so that the respective eyes 12 will be snugly received between them.

' A pin 14 is provided, (shown at right-hand side of Fig. 2,) and is passed through the eyes when alined, so as to hold the catcher in place. The catcher may be adjusted to operate at either side of the car and when the car is going in either direction, and the manner of effecting this adjustment may be understood by reference to the drawings, where it will be seen that to catch a bag when the car is moving in the direction of the arrow in 1 the catcher should be connected with the eye 12 at the right of the opening, so that the lower extremity of the rod 7 will fit in one of the corners a of the opening I) in the block 11 adjacent to the catcher. This will incline the plane side 9 of the catcher outwardly, as shown, so that the bag may be engaged bodily and deflected into the car.

It will be understood that the pivotal c011- nection between the shaft 7 and the link 4 is such that permits a one-half revolution of the shaft to admit the adjustment of the catcher from one door to the other.

The two corners a of the openings 1) are provided so as to receive the extremity of the I shaft 7 when the catcher is swung from one side to the other. Fixed to the shaft 7 at about the middle thereof is an arm 15, which is connected to the shaft through the medium of a clip 16, the arm being pivoted and capable of swinging downwardly, as shown by TOO dotted lines in Fig. 2. By means of this arm the shaft 7 and the catcher may be readily controlled. The shaft 7 is further guided by means of the plates 17, which are secured one the catcher is not in use and when it is necessary for the catcher to be out of the way of persons in the car.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination with a car having a door in each side of a shaft extended transversely from one door to the other, a bagcatcher, and means for slidably and rotatably connecting the catcher with the shaft, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a car having a door opening in each side, of a stationary shaft extended transversely from one door to the other, a bag-catcher, and a shaft extended vertically through the catcher and connected thereto and movable on the stationary shaft, substantially as described.

The combination with a car, of a stationary shaft extended horizontally in the same, a bag-catcher movable 011 said shaft, and a notched block secured to the car and adapted to be engaged by the catcher, sub stantially as described.

at. The combination with a car having an opening in the side thereof, of a stationary shaft extending horizontally above the said opening, and a bag catcher slidably mounted on said shaft and provided with means for connection with each side of the opening, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a car having an opening in the side thereof, ofablock secured to the floor of the car and inward of the opening and having a notch therein, a bag-catcher adapted to engage with the notch of the block, and means for mounting the catcher, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a car having an opening in the side thereof, of a bag-catcher, a plate mounted above the opening and having a notch adapted to be engaged by the catcher, and a block secured to the floor of the car and also adapted to be engaged by the catcher, substantially as described.

7 The combination with a car, of a stationary shaft, a bag-catcher having one end hung on said shaft, and a bar extended horizontally and adapted to support the free end of the catcher, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with a car having oppositely-arranged side doors,of a bag-catcher, and means for mounting said catcher,whereby it may have transverse movement from one door to the other, the means for mounting the catcher being capable of allowing it partial rotary movement, whereby without dismounting the catcher it may be adjusted to either door, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a car having a door opening in one side, of a mounted catcher at said opening, means for alternately connecting the catcher to each side of the door, and a notched block carried by the car and adjacent to the door, the catcher having a part engaging the notch of the block, substantially as described.

10. A mail-bag catcher, the same having a plane side and upper and lower end portions, said end portions being extended at right angles to the plane side, and a shaft extended parallel with the plane side and through the end portions of the catcher, the catcher being adapted to be supported with its plane side vertical to the doorway of a car, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a car having an opening in one side thereof, of a mail-bag catcher pivotally suspended adjacent to said opening and having a depending projection, means for alternately connecting each side of the catcher with the adjacent side of the opening, and a notched block secured to the floor of the car and engaged by the projection of the catcher, substantially as described.

12. The combination with a car having an opening in one side thereof, of a mail-bag catcher having a plane side, the catcher being pivotallysuspended at said opening by overhead means, the catcher being capable of universal movement and means for alternately connecting the sides of the catcher with the respective adjacent sides of the opening in the car, substantially as described.

13. The combination with a car having an opening in one side, of a bag-catcher having a plane surface adapted to be engaged by the bag, and means for loosely suspending the catcher,the said means supporting the catcher from its upper portion and allowing the catcher universal movement, substantially as described.

\VILLIAM TELL STUART.

itnesses:

D. W. GILL, F. L. ROBINSON, JAMES SMITH. 

